Sold Into You
by Better If You Didn't Know
Summary: Caroline didn't realize that running away from slavery meant running into the arms of the Mikaelsons. Even if that means mischief, magic, and mayhem (and the occasional near death experience), she's glad that it did. And, really, she wouldn't have it any other way. This story was deleted and this is me editing and reposting it. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_Run!_ She reminded herself. _Don't stop!_

What else was she supposed to do? She couldn't go back. She didn't _want_ to go back and there were no places to hide in these woods. If she stopped, she was caught. If she was caught, they would kill her. This was her fifth time escaping. That was four more times than anyone else had ever survived but they kept her around because they said she'd sell for a pretty penny. They made sure to remind her of that everyday. _Stupid! Stupid girl! You don't even know where you're going!_ It didn't matter. This was her last chance. The auction was soon. She couldn't wait any longer. If she tried to escape after she'd been bought, they'd kill her. So run is what she did. Run was the only thing she could do and, for a slave that was underfed and overworked, she was doing very well. It felt like she'd been running forever through this unforgiving forest and she didn't think she could run for much longer.

The leaves crunched beneath her feet and the autumn chill tore at her soles. The bright orange leaves were all a blur to her panicked vision and labored breaths. She couldn't stay upright no matter how hard she tried. The chains binding her ankles caused her to become intimate with the forest floor in a very unpleasant way more than one time, and the rattling they made only served to remind her of her slavery. The rags she had been wearing were reduced to scraps as the branches tore at the dress. Now, on top of barely being able to breathe, thanks to the corset, she was practically naked. It seemed everything was against her freedom. Everything was rooting for her to fail. Even the wind was whispering viciously in her ear telling her she would have to stop eventually. _You can't keep running forever silly girl._

Before she could even realize what was happening, and stop to sit down, her legs gave out on her. She found herself crawling towards the nearest tree and falling against it heavily. All the cuts and scratches began to feel like gashes and holes. Every shaky breath she took made her dizzy until she could no longer keep her eyes open. She felt worn and beat down. She felt as if she'd been carrying the Sun and it was finally collapsing on her and making her existence nothing but ash, and, in the day that was now darkness, she could hear the footsteps. Just as they were bearing down on her eardrums, she collapsed. She tried to remain aware, but the darkness was stronger than her just as it has always been.

xXx

The first thing she recognized, before she even opened her eyes, was the smell. That was quickly followed by the ache of everything on her body. The food overshadowed that. She knew what that was. It was something they always made back at the slave house. Simple chicken and vegetables. It was very good, or so she heard. She'd never actually been able to eat any. The slaves weren't allowed to eat what the masters ate, if they wanted to keep their tongues. Sometimes they were fed raw vegetables or fruit, but mostly it was bread. Bread was what the slave house had in abundance and it was cheap. So, of course, it was what the slaves ate. _But wait,_ she realized, _this isn't the slave house_.

She opened her eyes and this was definitely _not_ the slave house. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position to examine her surroundings more thoroughly. The slave house was big, but decrepit. It was mostly cells and a few decent rooms for the caretakers and the Master Slaver. This place, she could tell even from the single room she was confined to, was beautiful and...she couldn't even think of a word for it. The walls were decorated with smooth patterns that she could not take her eyes off and bordered in a smooth clean wood. And _this bed!_ She couldn't figure out how she hadn't noticed the bed she was laying in. It was practically heaven. The sheets felt like cool water. She could practically swim in them. The pillow was practically a cloud. Her clothes, which had been changed to a simple night gown, were the softest cotton that ever existed, and everything felt so _clean._ When was the last time she'd had a proper wash? When was the last time she could touch her own skin, without shivering in disgust? When was the last time she had been able to sit and think without someone yelling at her to do something-

"Ma'am?" A servant questioned. She blinked a few times before facing the girl that stood in the open door. Any doubt she'd had about not being at the slave house was confirmed then. She knew every slave at the slave house and this girl was not one of them. How long had she been standing there anwyay? When had the door even opened?

"I'll let the masters of the house know you're awake." The servant said as she sat down the tray she was carrying that carried the food. That explained the smell that inhabited the room. The girl bowed and left quickly after. The former slave turned to her plate. It was all of a heartbeat before she began devouring the food. It was even better than the other slaves had speculated. It was the best thing she had tasted. The smell and taste of the food clouded her mind. She hadn't actually realized the weight of the servants words until she heard her door being pushed open. Her head snapped quickly towards the door to see a man step through dressed in clearly tailored clothes. Without a thought, she sprang off of the bed. She snatched the knife that had accompanied her food off of the tray as the remaining food went tumbling across the covers and floor. She didn't stop to think about the delicious food she had just wasted, thought it would surely haunt her later. She went straight to pointing the knife at the man. He was no fool. Her hands weren't even shaking though she was clearly scared. She would stab him and, while a stab wound would be nothing to worry about, he rather liked this particular suit. He slowly held his hands up in surrender.

"I don't know what I've done to cause you worry," he spoke smoothly with an accent that, she'd noticed, usually accompanied men with money, "but I do apologize for it."

"I just want to leave." Her voice came out shaky, contrary to her steady hand. "Please just let me leave."

"Miss," the man spoke slowly as if to a frightened animal, which she could definitely fit the requirements for, "you are not here against your will. You are welcome to leave. My brother, NiKlaus, found you in the woods a little ways away from our home. He brought you back with only the purest of intentions." _I hope_ , Elijah thought. "We will be more than willing to send you on your way once we have secured your well-being."

He took a few tentative steps forward. She tightened her grip on the knife and he stopped. He reached across slowly and gently removed it from her grasp. _Why?!_ She cursed herself after she'd let it go _Why would you give it to him?!_. He raised his hand. She was sure it had been to hit her for daring to raise a hand to the master of the house. _This is what you deserve!_ She waited with bated breath for the sting that would be felt across her cheek and the resounding slap that would accompany. Nothing came. Instead he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and guided her around the mess she had made across the floor.

"My name is Elijah. Why don't you tell me your name..." He encouraged. She opened her mouth to form the familiar syllables but she stopped herself. She thought on it for a second. She didn't want the name the masters had "graced" her with.

"Car-Caroline." She said, almost sure that that was the name her mother had given her. She could see it. Her mother's mouth smiling around the word, smiling at her.

"I'll get a servant in here to clean up the mess." He offered.

"No!" She cut him off as the words pulled her from her memories. She'd rather clean up her own mess. "I'll do it myself."

While Elijah went through the wardrobe that Caroline hadn't bothered to notice in the corner of the room, Caroline zoned out. She'd wanted to roam but she remembered the servant saying "masters". She didn't not know these people yet. She did not know how she was expected to act around them. Maybe this master was kind but that did not account for the others. She decided to stay within the room. Every now and then she wondered over to the same desk to pick one of the many books stacked on top. She couldn't actually read, but she'd always wanted. Her mother was just about to start teacher her when- _no, don't think about that. I don't wanna see that again._

"Lady Caroline," Elijah drawled as he turned to face her again, several dresses draped over his arm.

"I'm not a lady." _Property does not get titles!_ She corrected quietly.

"Well, then your appearance is fooling." He joked. Caroline flinched visibly before taking a step away. _You're not supposed to say no! Master is always right! Stop being an idiot!_

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"I was only attempting to make you laugh." Elijah said apologetically. "You have no reason to be sorry. Now, here-" he laid the dresses on the bed. Caroline glanced at them momentarily. They were different from clothes she'd received in the past. They looked...new and clean and they felt _so soft._ She began to pull the night gown over her and Elijah turned his head away respectfully. Caroline didn't really understand why. She had stopped with the dress just past her navel and glanced curiously at Elijah. Maybe the slavers had been wrong about how appealing her body was. Elijah told her to pick a dress and quickly exited the room after telling her to meet them downstairs.

Caroline continued pulling the night gown over her head. There were three dresses on the bed. One was a deep red; another was gold, and the last was black. She'd never had the choice of clothing, neither had she really cared. She grabbed the red one and began to put it on. It was simple. It didn't require a corset or buttons or zippers. It was just a loose fitted gown. The dress had a simple tie at the cleavage, but she let it hang without thought. She didn't even bother glancing in the mirror before she walked straight into the hall and found her legs coming to a screeching halt.

The hallway was dark and empty and that reminded her of the slave house. Caroline had never been a fan of the dark. For the longest all she could was stare into the empty space on either side of her until she remembered that she had been given an order. She was supposed go downstairs. Which way was downstairs? _What now?_ She asked herself. Right was always right, right? As she reached the end of the hall the only option was left so She made the left turn, her hand scaling the wall for some sort of comfort. It took five more turns and three times going back before she figured out where she going, and, by figured out where was going, she means happily stumbled upon the stairs. She headed down the stairs towards the bright ground floor that gladly boasted sunlight. Once she had reached the bottom she did the only thing she could do which was follow the sound of voices until she found who she was looking for.

"NiKlaus, she-" Elijah stopped speaking as he saw her walk into the room. Caroline glanced around the room, noting the large dining table and the man who Elijah was standing next to who was seated at the head of it. She watched Elijah's eyes flick back and forth between her and the man he had been talking. The man he'd been talking to was staring at Caroline with a rather wide grin that made her want to go hide in the hall.

"Caroline." He smiled. Caroline took a step back as the looked in his eyes flickered to something completely different than simple adoration. Caroline recognized that look. She found herself stumbling backwards in the sudden need to get away form here. She could hear her inner voice screaming _RUN_ just as it had when one of the overseers had been laughing evilly in her face and taunting her with the information about the auction.

"NiKlaus," Elijah warned in notice of her emotions, " remember you had to remove her chains."

"Oh yes," he sighed. "I do apologize for my tone. It's only...I do love to appreciate beauty and you are quite beautiful."

Caroline blushed this time, which was something she'd never had the pleasure of doing before. Something that she wasn't used to. She didn't get compliments where she was from. She got hit and yelled at and starved. She was complimented in the worse ways possible, in regards to worth. 'They'll like you,' they would say, 'You've got good legs for working and I nice strong back for-' they would laugh-'Other things.' Caroline would be curled in the corner in an attempt to shield herself from whatever psychological trauma she knew was heading her way. She would do anything to make herself a smaller target. As a child, she could remember thinking that if she just stayed in the corner curled in her ball then she would be invisible. It had never actually worked but sometimes she could pretend that it did. As she grew up, and lost that imagination, life became much harder.

"Um..." She stuttered. "I don't- I just want-"

"To leave." Elijah finished. "Yes, I know, but we don't think it's quite safe for you just yet. Do you mind waiting a bit longer. We promise that once it is clear, we will give you everything you need to move on with your life."

"I don't...think that's a good idea." Caroline said slowly as she screamed at herself on the inside. She was trying to gauge their reaction. She wanted to know if they were as nice as they seemed. Many men had tried to act nice with her, but, once you deny men who are used to receiving any and everything, they tend to show their true colors. These men were different. They didn't give her anything bad. NiKlaus looked more disappointed than angry, while Elijah looked worried.

"My brothers only mean to say that the slavers who you escaped from are still looking for you." A female presence made herself known with her very loud voice, as she strutted over to Caroline. Her dress was much more intricately detailed and bigger, much bigger, than Caroline's. "Rebekah Mikaelson," she extended as a greeting, "you know if you curl your hair a bit and wear a-"

"Rebekah she has just escaped from captivity," NiKlaus rolled his eyes, "she doesn't need you trying to control her." Rebekah huffed before sitting in the seat to the left of NiKlaus. She mumbled something about only giving tips which earned a stern glare from NiKlaus.

"I understand but-" Caroline stopped unsure of how to continue. She looked around nervously. Elijah gave her encouraging nod. "I have to go."

"As I'm sure you'd like to escape my brothers-"

"What are you trying to say, dear sister?" Elijah interrupted Rebekah. Dogs began to bark and immediately Caroline dropped. _Smaller target. Cover your face. If you get scars they'll punish you._ She wrapped her hands around her head and rocked back and forth quickly. Rebekah looked stunned unsure of how to handle the situation, while Elijah immediately headed to quiet the dogs. NiKlaus stood slowly and made his way over to Caroline, quietly calming Rebekah as he did.

"Caroline." He said warily and quietly. He crouched so that they were eye level. He had a feeling that towering over her at a time like this was not the best idea. The last thing she needed was for NiKlaus to be trying to assert his dominance. There was a time a place. Caroline's eyes were squeezed shut, almost painfully so. _Apologize!_ her inner voice warned. _Apologize before they have you torn apart by dogs! What were you thinking?! you can't say no! If you want to live, you can't say no! Why did you live?! Was being free worth your life? WOULD YOU RATHER BE DEAD?!_

"Caroline-"

"Please," she whimpered as tears began to roll down her cheeks in waves. "I'm sorry!" _I don't believe you! I don't BELIEVE you!_ "I'M SORRY! Please, I really mean it. I swear!"

"Caroline," NiKlaus said quieter and softer. Rebekah was astonished at the softness in his tone. She hadn't heard him speak like that since they'd been human. "Sweetheart open your eyes." He gently tugged Caroline's hands away from her face. When she didn't respond he carefully grabbed her chin with his forefinger and thumb and gently forced her head upwards. He was met with her tear stained cheeks and trembling eyelids.

"Caroline, love, look at me."

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed. She hadn't realized that the dogs had stopped barking and Elijah had reentered the house. He did not intervene, only watched NiKlauss' actions from a distance. Caroline needed space right now. It would no one well to have all of the Mikaelson family smothered around her. She would only panic more.

Caroline's eyes were still squeezed shut, forcing out the building liquid from beneath her eyes. She'd rather not see whatever punishment was headed her way. NiKlaus opted to just take her into his arms rather than force her eyes open. He cradled her close, close enough her pounding heartbeat throughout his entire body. He slowed her frantic rocking until they both became incredibly still on the cold wood floor. He slowly grasped each leg and stretched them out so that they crossed his folded one's. He was glad when it did not trigger another episode. If they had been responsible for something so cruel, he was not sure he could stop himself from murdering them. She'd stop pleading much to his pleasure. Now she only shook furiously in his arms.

Elijah looked upon the two who were practically wrapped each other with mostly confusion. NiKlaus had never been this gentle, emphasis on never. Even his human years had been filled with too much bravado to be accompanied by gentleness. And this was more than gentleness. This was empathy. Elijah had not known Klaus was capable of empathy. He rocked with the girl and whispered comforting words into her ear. Caroline, in response, had begun clutching him tightly and crying into his shoulder. This time NiKlaus apologized to her, another thing he never did. He apologized for everything the men had put her through.

Elijah pulled Rebekah away. This was a private moment. Caroline deserved to have this but if peace while she could. Elijah had gotten rid of the slavers who had been lurking around their home. It had only taken a few threats and a flash of his fangs but they were not gone for long. Of course the slavers had promised to was of no consequence. Right now, he was more focused on Caroline.

"Caroline." NiKlaus whsipered softly into her ear. He wouldn't carry her, he'd decided. She didn't need what little strength she had to be overshadowed. "You are strong. You've escaped them. I know you're tired but I know that you can stand."

"I'm so tired. I ran for so long." she said. Her voice was distant and quiet, her face buried in the loose clothing NiKlaus wore. "I can't."

"Come on, love." NiKlaus insisted. "You and I both know you can."

He stood with her cradled in his arms, then slowly he put her onto her feet. She swayed slightly but more or less had a solid stance. He coached her into her first step. He swore, as he walked her to her temporary bedroom, on his baby brothers grave that he wouldn't let her be taken again. And, after she'd been settled in and NiKlaus sat across from Elijah in his study, he made the same promise in front of Elijah.

"I swore on Henrik." He said quietly. "The only way they'll get her back is if I'm dead and gone.""Well," Elijah sighed, he could think of all the fighting they'd been doing already. He could imagine the headache NiKlaus was going to give him. "you're already dead."


	2. The Wildest Spirit

"Love Makes The Wildest Spirit Tame And The Tamest Spirit Wild"  
-Alexis Delp

CcC

 _Mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy_

" _Grab the child! The boss says she's staying here…"_

 _Caroline could feel herself sob harder at the declaration. She didn't know what was worse-staying here or being sold off-but she was not eager to do either. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to be with her mom again…and her dad again but now…she could not be with either. All she had had left was her mother and the last she had saw of her-_

" _Come here, little girl!"_

 _Caroline could hear high pitch screams filling the air and it took her a moment to realize that they were hers. She did not think she could remember herself sounding so terrified. She could not remember ever being handled so roughly. She had never known her skin could be such ugly shades before she had arrived here._

" _Ostav' yeye v pokoye!" A voice came as she felt the man who had been gripping her rather tightly drop her unceremoniously onto the dirt floor that comprised most of her cell._

" _Leawe ze girl alone!"_

 _Caroline found herself curling into a ball. Her hands clasped over her ears to block out the sounds of the woman and the man yelling. Soon the woman was no longer yelling in anger but in pain and Caroline squeezed her eyes shut tighter and pressed her hands against her ears harder._

 _pleasejuststoppleasejuststoppleasejust-_

" _STOP!"_

The heavy breathing that occupied the otherwise empty room is what helped Caroline focus. She was not there anymore. She was here, with the Mikaelsons and maybe, she hoped, that was safe.

CcC

Caroline was staying. Klaus had decided that the moment Caroline had fell asleep clutching his hand. He had decided she was staying the moment she had first felt safe here. So it did not matter what Kol said, or how many times Rebekah protested. It did not matter whether or not they thought it was a good idea. She was staying, he had told her that he would protect her and he would as long as she stayed under this roof.

That was why he was willing to argue with Kol. Well…arguing was not the word for it.

"I don't think you understand what's happening Kol." NiKlaus informed. "I was not asking your opinion or approval. I was merely stating facts."

Kol frowned in return. He opened his mouth to protest but a firm hand on his shoulder, provided by Elijah, told him to keep it shut. Kol was obviously less than pleased. His growl in response portrayed just that. NiKlaus raised an eyebrow in amusement. Kol could pout all he wanted. Caroline was staying no matter his attitude. Kol was not, and would never, be the problem.

The problem, however, was figuring out how to tell Caroline (the girl who had been through so much already) that she was staying in a home with four bloodsucking original vampires and that her life would be greatly endangered because of it.

 _Well,_ NiKlaus figured after an uncharacteristic burst of optimism, _I have told many more people many worse things…_

CcC

"Servants..." Caroline mused aloud as she ran the towel of warm water over her arms. She had never had servants. Normally, she was the servant. It was a very different experience living on the other side. These people were dedicated. They did whatever she asked (though she made sure to ask for very little) and even things she did not ask for. They'd brought her a tub the moment she'd awoken without her even saying a word. For a while she had no idea how to respond. She just stared at the wisps of smoke rising from the hot water.

 _Hot water_ …she had nearly screamed in surprise when she had first stepped in. She had forgotten, honestly, that that was what smoking water meant. Yet another thing she was not used to. How long had they kept her locked for escaping the time before last? It had felt like years… She had been lucky to get a bucket thrown on her back at the slave house. Baths were not a luxury she had been granted. Then again, now that she thought about it, there weren't any luxuries they were.

She had enjoyed it, at first, but now she sat huddled in the tub thinking about the previous night. She'd heard the dogs again. She couldn't be sure if they were real or in her mind but she'd spent the night huddled half under her bed. When she had awoken from her bad dream and been greeted with nothing but the sight of a corner, it had taken her a moment to remember where she was.

Sitting there, in the tub surrounded by the slowly cooling water that was all she could really think about. Her mind wandered endlessly to the images of dogs and bloody beatings that dominated her memories. That was probably why she did not notice that there was a knock at her door. There were four more knocks before she'd even realized there was a sound at all. Soon after, NiKlaus's voice drifted past the rich brown wood

"Caroline?" NiKlaus's voice echoed through the door. "Are you okay?"

She stared at the door. She was not very sure as to why he would not just open the door.

"Caroline?" He called again.

"Yes?" She questioned.

"I'm coming in..."

"Okay."

The door opened slowly. Caroline ignored it opting to wipe down her other arm with a cloth that held now lukewarm water. She couldn't remember how long she'd been in the tub before NiKlaus entered. She stared at him curiously for a moment while he scanned the room. When his eyes finally landed on her, he turned around quickly. He reminded himself to be more aware of the fact that Caroline was not aware of modesty.

"You didn't tell me you were bathing." NiKlaus said quietly.

"Did it matter?" She asked looking down at herself. As a slave, she was inspected regularly. She was more than accustomed to being naked in front of men she did not know. She did not see how NiKlaus was any different.

"Why did you talk through the door and why are you looking at it?."

She perked up as a thought passed and she thought it may be correct. "Do you like the door that much?"

NiKlaus chuckled in response to her deduction. "It is a very nice door…" He glanced over his shoulder. She was still in the bath.

"Caroline I need to tell you-"

"Are they slaves-"

"What?!"

"The people," Caroline clarified, "the ones that bring me food and brought me this tub. Are they slaves?"

"No, of course they are not." NiKlaus answered immediately. "They are paid quite well every week. My siblings and I are not the best people but we do not believe in slavery."'

"Oh…okay." Caroline said letting out a breath she had not known she was holding. "That's good."

"You're naked." He stated. She was trying to figure out why that was important.

"Oh..." She said. "Is that…not right? Do you not like it?" NiKlaus didn't reply but he did turn to face her being unsure of how to respond to that question. The look on her face was so innocent. She was not pretending. She honestly didn't know any better. He shook his head to himself before grabbing the robe that was laid for her on her bed.

"You're very beautiful, Caroline." She blushed again. She wasn't sure if she would ever get use to his compliments. She watched him curiously as he silently urged her to stand up, lifting the robe so she could slip her arms into it. "It is not wrong to not be ashamed of your body but your beauty is yours. You shouldn't show it to just anyone. You have the right to choice who deserves to see it." Caroline's curious stare only intensified as she stood, giving NiKlaus a clear view of her back. It was covered in angry brutal scars. Some looked like burns, others whips, and others tortuous cuts. His grip tightened on the robe in an effort to control his anger as he slid it onto Caroline's shoulders. With the flash of all the brutal things he could do to her enslavers, he suddenly remembered why he was here.

 _To hell with it,_ he thought angrily. He was _NiKlaus Mikaelson,_ known for being ruthless and vicious and blunt. He could tell someone he was a vampire. Hell, he'd told many as he walked over their crumbling corpses.

 _But this is different,_ he realized, _I didn't care what those fools thought of me. But Caroline…_

"Master NiKlaus?"

 _Come out and say it, you bloody coward!_ "Caroline-"

CcC

 _Vampire_

And that was only three of them. NiKlaus was a hybrid.

Caroline tried not to think about it. NiKlaus had provided sufficient evidence and promised that she would be not be hurt. She believed him. She didn't know why but she did. Maybe it was his face. He had a beautiful face. It made her want to trust him and his accent definitely didn't work against it. She wasn't thinking correctly. She shook her head in an effort to clear her mind.

She was in the forest right now. She'd decided she needed some fresh air after the news and NiKlaus had been eager to accommodate her. He made her promise not to run off first which was more for her safety than his desires. She just wanted to walk. She wouldn't go too far. She'd promised. Now she could get caught up in the forest's beauty. Particularly, she was entranced by the tiny field with budding flowers that surprised her with color at her every turn. She could stay here all day.

 _Look at that one!_

She plucked a tiny yellow flower that seemed way too exotic to be found in a simple forest. It stood out and she felt bad for removing it from its space but it had seemed crowded in the mess of roots and weeds. Sometimes, she realized, she realized, things needed a change of scenery. It had seemed trapped. So she plucked it and now it had all the space it could possibly want. She should show NiKlaus. The flower was beautiful and he did like beautiful things.

He'd told her she was beautiful. Quite beautiful, were his exact words. She smiled to herself while twisting the flower gently between her fingers. She dashed off towards the house without another thought.

CcC

 _Rubbish_

Every word the master slaver spouted was rubbish. He'd already irritated NiKlaus when he put up a fight when asked to leave his dogs outside. He'd tested Nik's patience even more when he had refused to address as her Caroline. The he continued to test Nik's patience every time he talked. He kept using the word _my_. _My slave. My property. My profit._ He was laying claim to Caroline as if she was his to claim. Caroline was no ones, as of now, and if she was to be, she would be NiKlaus's. This man, who had condoned her torture and pain, would have no say in that beautiful creature's choices. She, alone, would decide who she gave herself to. The only thing he would have a say in, is where his head would be delivered to if he kept baiting NiKlaus. He had better be glad he was still breathing and that was only because The Mikaelsons happened to like this place and were trying very hard not to ruin it.

"You have to understand." The slaver insisted. "Lilian-", he stopped immediately when NiKlaus glared daggers at him "-…Caroline has yet to be sold and her value is immense. She is an Indian bred bastard. People pay a great deal for those who are descendant of the natives."

"I don't really care what-"

"Master Klaus look-!" Caroline stopped dead in her tracks. It was him. It was that man. She took several steps back. Elijah frowned and NiKlaus immediately rose from his chair. He wanted to rip the guy's head off.

 _He's gonna take it!_ Caroline's arms flew behind her back.

 _What is that you have?!_

"It's nothing." Caroline said quietly.

"Caroline-"

 _"Who gave you permission to-"_

"I'm sorry."

"You little troublemaker." The slaver growled. He raised his hand immediately NiKlaus was standing between him and Caroline in the blink of an eye, a wrist being crushed painfully between his fingers but it was too late. Caroline was already cowering against the farthest wall.

"Please just let me keep my flower." She cried. "Please."

 _"Please just let me keep my doll. My mom made it! Please!"_

"I think it is time for you to leave." NiKlaus said. His voice dropped to a sufficiently terrifying octave.

"If you're going to keep her, you need to pay!"

" _We_ need not pay for anything." Elijah stated calmly. "Caroline is not property and she is certainly not your property."

"Now," NiKlaus squeezed tighter. "As I was saying earlier, I don't care how highly you value her ancestry. She will remain here as long as she wishes. _She is free now._ If you try to do anything to interfere with that fact, I will separate you from your head."

 _"Oh my"_ Kol's voice traveled as he laughed heartily at the broken man as walked in on the scene. "I do believe this is your time to leave. I wouldn't test Nik's restraint anymore."

The man snatched his wrist away and stalked towards the door. There was a loud slam and some dogs barking that quickly grew distant.

CcC

"You called me Klaus." NiKlaus said as he sat with Caroline in her room. She was sitting on her bed, her legs crushed to her chest, and her face buried between her knees. Her toe was tapping frantically along the covers while her shaking hands twisted the flower stem between her thumb and forefinger.

"Caroline." NiKlaus said softly. She hummed in response never pulling her head from her knees. NiKlaus reached a hesitant hand forward to stop her shaking hand. Caroline responded immediately. She pushed herself further against the headboard the hand he had reached for now plastered to her chest as she breathed heavily. Her eyes were wide with horror. They flicked from his hand to his face and Klaus was now more focused on the wild flower she gripped in her hand.

"I just wanna keep my flower." She said quietly as her chest heaved beneath the plucked flower.

"Caroline," NiKlaus raised both his hands in surrender, "You can have your flower. It's yours."

"I'm sorry." She said her arm still clutched to her chest. He wanted to tell her she had nothing to apologize for but he knew that was something she needed to learn on her own just as he had.

"You called me Klaus." He said, opting changing the subject.

"I didn't mean to." She sniffled. He watched her for a moment. She began wiping her eyes to get rid of unshed tears. She gripped the flower wiping furiously with her forearms. The tears increased and soon her arms were glued to her eyes. Her sniffles became more frequent. He had no idea how to respond and settled for resting his hand on her knee in a hopefully comforting gesture.

"Do I have to leave now?!" Her entire body was trembling. "I'm sorry...I'm…so much trouble."

She launched herself at NiKlaus. He gasped in surprise as they tumbled off the bed and she landed on top of him. She cried furiously apologizing and burying her face in his neck. He could feel her tears soaking through his skin, warm like blood but bittersweet in an entirely unpleasant way. He regained what little composure he could whilst he was trapped beneath her on the floor and began rubbed comforting circles in her back. She sobbed till she had no more tears and every wail was followed by a hiccup.

"You don't have to leave, Caroline." He comforted. "I don't mind you calling me Klaus, if you'd like."

"Can I keep my flower?" She hiccuped. He chuckled.

"Yes." He kissed her head. "You can keep your flower. You can have whatever you want."

CcC

Three months. Three months (after almost an entire year) of having no problems, no slaver related problems anyway, and breaking Caroline of her slave habits. She'd started to speak up, in volume and in wants. She did what she wanted when she wanted and she had stopped calling The Mikaelson's master and mistress. She made her own decisions including refusing corsets, not letting Rebekah run her life, and refusing the help of, and helping, servants. Rather or not she knew it she had NiKlaus wrapped around her fingers and there were several things he wanted her to be wrapped around, constantly.

"You don't have to wear a corset, but you do have to wear the furs." NiKlaus scolded.

"But it's not even cold!" She whined as she stomped her feet in a childish manner leaving boot prints in the thick snow. NiKlaus rolled his eyes in wrapped her furs a bit tighter before brushing a thumb across the beautiful red blush on her pale cheeks.

"What is she, your child?" Rebekah huffed in irritation. Kol muttered something that Klaus was sure was in agreeance with Rebekah.

"I think she's upset because she's lonely. We'll have to find her a mate." Caroline whispered to Klaus.

"I heard that!" Bekah yelled furiously. Kol snickered, this time, in amusement.

Klaus chuckled before giving Caroline a quick kiss and turning back towards their house. It was way too cold for Caroline to be out here but she had practically begged with those baby blue eyes. Snowball fight, Klaus scoffed, she was finding a way to make up for her childhood. How old was she? Caroline hadn't known but NiKlaus guessed somewhere around sixteen, Seventeen, at the most, too young for him. Then again, anyone born in this century was too young for him.

Caroline tugged on his arm before quickly reaching down to form a snowball. Klaus was unsure of her target at first as she eyed devilishly but it all became clear when whirled around to launch the first signal of war. She was too late however as he snowball fell short of its target and another hit dead on.

"Mphhh!" Rebkah squealed as she'd got a snowball to the face. So Kol was to be the instigator of this day's war. Caroline quickly joined. She aimed for Kol in retaliation. When she missed, she settled for pushing him down into a pile of snow. The suggestion of boys against girls was quickly accepted as Rebekah's playful rage towards Kol increased. They were outnumbered, three to two but the girls were not worried. Boys were stupid anyway or so said Caroline.

"Oh, that's cheating!" Caroline complained as Kol and Klaus ran vampire circles around her. Elijah was somewhere bombing people and making ammo. Caroline was at more than a human disadvantage with the furs. She quickly stripped them away. It dropped unconcerned by Caroline. The adrenaline was keeping her warm. Seeing how much fun she was having, Klaus could not help but let her have this one. This was war after all and he was not concerned with his enemy.

It felt like it lasted forever. All the running and ducking and all of them seemed to never get tired. Caroline was able to keep up with them a bit, now that her and NiKlaus had officially mated but she was nowhere near their speed. She kept slipping on ice but laughed through it all. She wasn't the only one. In no world did vampire speed and ice go together. Rebekah soon joined her in being clumsy. Even Elijah had dropped his gentleman guise for the moment. In the end he came out with his perfect suit soaking wet. Even NiKlaus found himself laughing and running in a way he never got to when he was young. They all felt like children again.

"Bekah duck!" Caroline warned as she threw a snowball at high speed that hit Elijah dead smack in the middle of his chest. Elijah was stunned. Caroline let out a victorious laugh and Bekah took the chance to tackle Elijah into a huge pile of snow. The other siblings burst into laughter. While Klaus was distracted, Caroline took her chance and tackled him as well. She peppered his face with kisses when they landed. He chuckled under the attention and caught her lips with his when he could.

"I...love...you." She said between kisses. Everyone stilled. That was unexpected. They all turned to look at the two. Rebekah's head was forming an odd angle from where she was buried in the snow. Klaus stared at Caroline but not in surprise or shock but with love.

"And I love you." He replied capturing her lips in a dreadfully seductive kiss.

"Leave it to NiKlaus to take advantage of a perfectly innocent snowball fight." Elijah chuckled.

CcC

She wasn't a slave anymore. She could stand up for what she wanted even to NiKlaus. NiKlaus loved her and he cared about her opinion and if she wanted something he would get it for her or do it for her. All she had to do was ask.

"Caroline," NiKlaus said without looking up from his paper work. He was in his study. She didn't like to bother him in his study. She had mostly all of his other time so she liked to give him space when he was working. Those were her words no matter how many times NiKlaus tried to convince her that she could have as much of his time as she wanted. He was a vampire after all. He had nothing but time. So NiKlaus was more than curious to see her standing there nervously wringing her hands in his doorframe.

"There's a ball." She blurted. NiKlaus raised an amused eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm aware." He said as he glanced up at her before returning to his work. "A few weeks from now…"

"I was thinking we could go..." She toyed with her hands a bit roughly. "Together."

"Would be going as something else?" He chuckled as he stood from his desk. He moved around it and approached Caroline. She stood waiting for an answer. He put one hand on her waist and pulled her close. He buried his face in her neck taking a deep breath of the scent that his wolf had come to recognize and always proudly growled _mine_ when it was present. She threaded a hand through his hair welcoming the attention. He agreed to her silent request and began planting kisses along the curve of her neck. He'd bitten her before and Caroline had no objections. Klaus could make it feel pleasurable rather than painful. After much pain, Caroline found she quite liked pleasure and pleasure was something NiKlaus was quite skilled at giving. He'd proven that fact more than once or twice.

"We shall have to find you something exquisite to wear." He said as he brought his other hand to encircle her waist as well and attempted to pull her closer even though there was no space between them. Caroline hummed in response. NiKlaus waited for the day when Caroline could offer her full self to him but as of now she was still burdened with memories. The day would come when he'd experience all the pleasure she could give him.

CcC

Why had he offered to have her dress made? She was worse than Rebekah. First she liked a dress then she didn't. This dress was too tight. That dress was too loose. God forbid if it required a corset but was to her liking. Then came the questions about modifications. She asked what could be substituted for a corset but nothing really worked.

"I don't want to go anymore." Caroline pouted as she sat in the bath with NiKlaus. They'd just tried on the last dress the seamstress had brought but Caroline was still not happy. She sat pouting in the tub. Klaus absentmindedly trailed his hand up and down her exposed arm.

"Why not?" He asked kissing her shoulder.

"The dresses..." She sighed. "theyallshowmyscars."

"What was that?" He questioned. His eyes narrowed in confusion. Even his advanced hearing could not make out the jumbled words she had called a sentence.

"They all show my scars." She huffed. NiKlaus paused for a second. His hand lowered from her arm to her leg.

"Is there something wrong with your scars?"

"They're ugly."

"Caroline." NiKlaus scolded. "I have told you many times that you are beautiful and I have seen every inch of you. Your scars do not detract from your beauty. They make you look strong."

Caroline leaned back into NiKlaus. She finally began to relax. Klaus wrapped an arm around her middle, welcoming her.

"I wouldn't have you any other way, love. Wear them as badges, not as disgraces." He continued softly into her ear.

"I think, I'll wear the black one."

CcC

 _The black one._ NiKlaus approved. His approval was written all over his face. Elijah had to remind him to keep his hands to himself while they were in public. There were enough bad rumors going around about him as it was. NiKlaus nodded in response. _Hands to myself._ He could do that. He could do that, or maybe not.

Just like the rest of Caroline's dresses, it didn't require a corset. Unlike the others it was a bit tighter, form fitted, and flowy with an open section at the cleavage and a black ribbon posing as a necklace to wrap it all up.

 _Like a spectacular gift, my gift._ NiKlaus _really_ approved.

It was sleeveless, a first for her. Caroline had gone over the details with the seamstress. There was a split up the side that allowed her room to walk. Her hair was curled and down and she had worn heels. Even Rebekah was impressed. NiKlaus laid a gentle hand on Caroline's arm before going in for a long and loving kiss. Elijah was quick to remind him that they were soon to head in.

Rebekah and Kol went in first their arms hooked. The man at the door introduced them. He called out Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson loud enough for the whole room to hear. Elijah went next, his name being announced solely, and as NiKlaus moved to step forward Caroline tugged gently on his arm. He looked at her and she saw the look of worry on her face. He rubbed her arm comfortingly and tugged her along. When they reached the door, NiKlaus whispered into the man's ear and entered with Caroline.

"NiKlaus and Caroline Mikaelson!" The guy yelled causing Caroline to look back in shock. Klaus kissed her cheek while she was distracted. She turned to face him, her mouth was wide open and Rebekah walked by and tapped her chin lightly. Caroline closed her mouth while resisting the urge to jump on NiKlaus right there. He was surprised at his silly girl. He had practically given her his soul. He needn't hesitate to give her his name. She could have all of him.

"NiKlaus!" A brown haired girl exclaimed as she rushed towards him. She would have plowed right through Caroline in an attempt to capture NiKlaus' arm if Klaus hadn't moved her out of the way. The girl had been running extremely, _inhumanly_ , fast and Caroline had nearly broken a heel when Klaus snatched her out of the way.

The girl began to ramble on. She talked about dresses and jewelry and shoes. She had searched long and hard to find the perfect everything for NiKlaus. NiKlaus didn't seem too happy about that. Caroline looked between the girl and Klaus. He frowned while the girl continued on. Caroline was only confused.

"And who is this?" She questioned as if she'd only just noticed Caroline's presence. "They introduced her as a Mikaelson. I wasn't aware you had another sister."

"I don't." Klaus said blandly. His tone held no emotion at all. Not even disappointment and Caroline was sure he was disappointed by the way he kept frowning.

"So what are you then?" She asked Caroline directly.

"I'm his mate." Caroline said simply while still looking at Klaus. She wasn't very concerned with the brunette. She was more concerned with Klaus. Was he mad at her? Usually he told her if he was upset with her and that wasn't very often at all. He hadn't been upset with her for a very long time. Even when it was it was about Caroline mistreating herself and Caroline couldn't think of anything she'd done lately. A series of gasp followed her announcement that she paid no mind to. It wasn't meant to be that public but with all the nosy vampires, it was impossible for it not to be.

"You mean pet." The girl scowled. "No way NiKlaus would mate a human."

"So you're too pretty to be smart then?" Rebekah asked as she made her way over from grabbing a glass of wine. "Because you wouldn't ask if she were his sister if she were human. That would be impossible." The girl scowled at Rebekah. Rebekah simply flashed her veins and watched the girl jump. She wasn't an idiot. She couldn't beat Rebekah in a fight on Rebekah's worst day.

"Hayley," NiKlaus sighed, "I was enjoying myself."

"Now you can enjoy it even more with me here." She flirted shamelessly. She reached out a hand to touch NiKlaus. It was immediately smacked away by Caroline. She wasn't really sure why she had done it. She'd never hit anyone in her entire life except the Mikaelsons with a snowball. The look of stun on Hayley's face extended to Caroline's and some of the guests of the ball.

"I'm sorry." Caroline said quickly. "But please don't touch him."

Even after the incident with the brown haired girl, Caroline had enjoyed the ball. NiKlaus introduced her to other, more respectful, people. Most of them were rich vampires, much like the Mikaelsons. Others were just rich humans. She learned a lot about what Klaus and the others did for profit. It was mostly trading. They owned things here and there and from what Caroline understood from the conversation, which was very little, they made a lot of money. That explained the big house and servants and Caroline getting any and everything she could possibly want.

Then NiKlaus took her to dance. She wasn't very sure of what she was doing but she just followed NiKlaus's lead. They swayed slowly at first until she got her footing. Eventually she just fell into rhythm. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She could stay like this forever, snuggled in NiKlaus's arms with beautiful music in the background.

CcC

They served great food. There were dishes from all over the place and Caroline found herself indulging. Food had been something she'd come to appreciate since her freedom. She was sure shed had at least three plates by the end of the night. Some looked down on her in disgust. Others voiced their opinion. All of them received a murderous glare from all the Mikaelsons (some received an ass whooping from Kol later outside). The first couple of days they'd taken her in she'd ate very little, scarily so. They encouraged her to eat as much as she wanted. NiKlaus liked to watch her eat. Unlike most of the men of their time, he didn't prefer his women stick thin. He and Caroline even shared a plate of desserts at one point.

The way she visibly enjoyed the cakes and fruits made him want to buy them more often. He could think of a few things they could do with them that'd leave the same pleasured expression on her face. Quite a few, indeed...

"What are you thinking of?" Caroline asked after a swipe of chocolate from her lips. NiKlaus brought his thumb up to trace its path. His mouth followed soon after. His tongue delving into her mouth to experience the chocolate cake she had just devoured. It tasted even better this way.

"NiKlaus…" His brother cleared his throat from where he was across the room ballroom. NiKlaus pulled back from Caroline. Her face held a breathless expression along with the pleasured one. How had he thought he could resist that?

CcC

"No!" Caroline yelled as she dashed down the stairs taking them two at a time. NiKlaus chased her quickly. He used his vamp speed to get in front of her but she quickly dodged into the dining room. It'd been a little over two years with the Mikaelsons; she had learned how to work around vampire speed. As Klaus followed her into the dining room, and she turned to face him, behind her back she held something clutched tightly in her hand. She quickly took up her position on the opposite side of the dining room table as NiKlaus entered.

"Come on, love." He coaxed. "Let me see."

"No." She stated solidly. "You only have three days till Christmas. Wait."

Each day Caroline grew more into her own self. She barely held any qualities of the ones she'd arrived with. One of those included doing things for NiKlaus just because he was NiKlaus. She'd actually turned out to be quite strong willed. Once she realized that she didn't have to stay quiet about her opinions the Mikaelson house grew a lot louder. She and Elijah had truly intelligent debates. All points she brought up were things shed figured out on her own and not from a book, as she hasn't quite mastered reading yet, and they were all magnificent. She want afraid to tell Bekah no which led to some serious arguments about fashion, which Caroline could care less about but didn't care enough to care less about.

The arguments she had with Kol were more about morals than intelligence or fashion. Asking him to stop killing people in the house was not that big of a request. He could feed inside all he liked but if Caroline had to wake up to one more pool of blood, or a dead body in the house she'd defang him. Kol took her threats lightly since NiKlaus said anything she requested was totally up to her to enforce. So he'd laughed it off. When his witchy toys start disappearing one by one, he hadn't found it so funny.

"Caroline, my love, who holds the key to my heart," Klaus began, "won't you grace me with the gift of seeing what's in your palm, if it not be my heart?" If he thought flattery was going to get him anywhere, he was wrong.

"Lysander riddles very prettily." Caroline replied as she moved one of her arms so that it was braced against the table, ready for movement. NiKlaus had started her off with Shakespeare. He figured if she could get that, she could get anything.

"Caroline Mikaelson, you give that to me right now!"

Caroline squealed as she ran left while Klaus came from the right. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist. He nuzzled her neck. He tossed in a few nips but Caroline's resolve was strong. She was not showing him this Christmas gift unless he pried it from her fingertips. They stood like that forever. NiKlaus whispered pleas in her ear. She ignored them with a giggle as he nipped at her ear and neck.

"NiKlaus Mikaelson." Caroline said sternly. "You. Will. Wait." NiKlaus groaned in defeat and stalked off pouting, like the puppy he was. Caroline smiled triumphantly.

CcC

Elijah wished NiKlaus would stop kissing Caroline like that. They'd been kissing longer than he'd cared to count. Honestly, he got that Nik liked his Christmas present but was that not a bit much. It was a simple necklace. Well, simple wasn't really the word. It was a mouth with fangs holding a full moon. It was a rather remarkable job. It wasn't painted but the craftsmanship was done so well that it was quite clear as to what it was. Caroline had had it specially made with the help of Bekah. From the fact that NiKlaus was still kissing Caroline, Elijah figured he liked it.

Caroline giggled as kisses traveled from her lips to continue their war path on the rest of her face. They were really happy. Everyone was really happy. They were the Mikaelsons. They really should have known better.


	3. If You Want To Love Me Now

"If You Want To Love Me Now, Then You Have To Learn To Love My Past. Because The Struggles I Went Through Yesterday Made Me Who I Am Today"  
-Unknown

 _CcC_

 _Caroline could see the blonde girl from where she sat on the bed. She couldn't remember what they were doing or why they were here or even how she had got here. Yet it all seemed familiar. This didn't feel like a dream but this had to be a dream. It had to because…because…_

 _"I like this one." The blonde stated pulling an old fashioned dress from an even more old fashioned wardrobe._

 _"No." It had come out of her mouth but it hadn't felt like she'd said or rather she didn't remember be saying but she could remember saying, but this was a dream- "It needs a corset."_

 _"You can't get around corsets forever Caroline." Her voice was weird, Caroline noticed. She talked weird, wait-no she had an accent._

 _"I can try." Caroline said defiantly. The girl rolled her eyes._

 _"NiKlaus would really like this dress." The girl urged._

 _"Then NiKlaus can have it retailored."_

"Caroline!"

The sudden screeching of her name only served to give Caroline a heart attack. She responded by burying her head in her pillow at the rude awakening. The vague thought of school entered her thoughts causing her to bury her head even further into the pillows. She couldn't deal with that right now.

She had a test today. It was a test in physics. She didn't care about physics. She cared about…that girl, the one in her dreams. She wanted to finish that dream, had it been a dream-had to be, she wanted to go back to sleep. She felt as if she was missing something and sleep would bring the answers. Then again she'd felt like that her most of her life. Another day wouldn't change make any difference.

She sighed as she dragged herself from bed. A brief glimpse at her closet and she was pulling the first thing she saw out of it. She wished she could forego a bra but sadly she couldn't. Society frown upon nipples, or something that. It didn't matter. Right now it was time for a shower.

Once she was out, she tossed her hair into a drying ponytail, before throwing whatever she had picked out, and headed downstairs. Her mom was already ready to go and she grabbed her backpack before heading out the door.

 _Another day at school. Another day of homework. Another day of feeling empty. This ought to be fun._

CcC

"I don't like him!" Caroline insisted as Bonnie and Elena tried to pressure her into dating some new kid. She didn't even know his name. _They_ didn't even know his name. They were always so worried about her. Bonnie had Jeremy, though they wouldn't admit because Jeremy was only a freshman while they were juniors. Elena had Stefan, which was getting quite irritating since they were unusually devoted to one another. Not to mention Stefan was a bit of a creep. Ever since a little while after they'd gotten together Bonnie and Elena had begun to be secretive and weird but Caroline hadn't worried herself about it. They were never very good friends to begin with. Still, Stefan bothered her…

Stefan's brother had tried to hit on her. He'd even gone so far as to order her around sometimes only to receive a few smacks in response. He'd seemed quite surprised that she'd turned him down and very adamantly at that. The guy was a pig to say the least. Now there was a new guy. Some foreign kid whose parents had died and he had relocated here to live with his brothers, him and his sister. He was cute, sure, but a little too cocky for Caroline. Then again Caroline had never dated. Maybe cocky was her type.

"I don't know, Care." Bonnie said toying with her school lunch. "You don't start dating soon, you'll end up alone forever."

 _"You'll never be alone." The man smiled._

"Care?"

 _"NiKlaus loves you more than I've ever seen him love anyone." He continued. "As long as he exists, he will make sure of that."_

 _"I feel much better." Caroline wiped a stray tear. "Thanks Eli-"_

"Caroline, hey!" Bonnie nearly screamed. Caroline's eyes snapped to her. She jerked in surprise as her eyes focused on the fingers in her face. "Are you okay? We've been calling your name for a while."

"Sorry just...reminiscing." Caroline said absentmindedly.

"About what?" Elena questioned.

"Um..." Caroline thought for a moment. Why had she said reminiscing? "I mean daydreaming, about nothing really."

CcC

As she sat silently resisting the anger that was slowly building within her, Caroline thought she might end up smacking this guy too. What had his name been? Kenneth? Cameron? Kol! He'd somehow managed to get seated next to her and he _wouldn't._ _stop_. _talking_. He wanted to ask questions about her, and her family, and her friends. He wanted to make smart remarks. He wanted to ask her history questions he knew the answers to. And he _flirted. He flirted_ _ **so much**_ _._ Caroline nearly cut her lobes off and stuffed them in her ears when her fingers didn't do the job.

"You haven't changed." Kol mumbled.

"What?" Caroline asked unplugging her ears eager to hear his one statement that wasn't a salacious comment.

"I was just saying how beautiful you were." Kol smirked. "It's a shame you are spoken for."

Caroline rolled her eyes. He was pulling all the stops. God she wished Klaus-

 _Klaus? Klaus?! Who is Klaus?!_

Wait-she wasn't spoken for. Of all the questions he'd asked, she had actually answered the boyfriend one. So why was he saying that?

"Caroline I'd appreciate it, if you paid attention in my class." Rick said sternly without even turning away from the chalk board forcing Caroline to focus on the here and now. Caroline apologized adamantly to her teacher before ignoring Kol and returning to her book.

CcC

The end of the day, she'd never wished for it so much. She didn't know what her problem was but she just really wanted to go to sleep. She felt drained. She'd been daydreaming a lot lately, having flashes of things that couldn't possibly have happen but felt beyond real. Some were great, like the time she spent with the mysterious blonde girl and guy and the other one who looked at her as if she was the world. Others were terrible.

There were evil things she was glad were only dreams. Somehow she couldn't believe that though. She didn't know how powerful dreams were but every time she dreamt of the bad men she always woke up with scars to match and they always hurt just as much. Maybe her scars had always been there. Dreams are based off of real life. How she missed a body, her body, full of ugly scars, she didn't know.

She pulled down her sleeves at the thought of them. They confused her and she was desperate to talk to someone about them. What was she to do? If she told her mom she'd probably go on a manhunt to kill men who didn't exist. She couldn't logically explain those scars. She couldn't tell Bonnie and Elena, even though they were supposedly best friends which said a lot about their friendship, and she wasn't sure she wanted to tell them. They had secrets they were keeping. Maybe she should keep a few of her own.

"Caroline let's go to the mall!" Elena yelled as she practically appeared from nowhere and tackled Caroline's arm. She nearly fell over once encountered with Elena's break neck speed. How had she gotten here that fast? Where had she even come from? Caroline was standing in the middle of a mostly empty parking lot. She would have heard her…

"I don't really feel like-"

"Well we're not giving you a choice." Bonnie announced as she jogged up to Caroline and Elena. "You're coming with us-

 _Whether you like it or not!" The man cackled. Caroline shivered in the corner she ran too. Her tiny six year old body shaking like it'd never done before. And where was her mom? Shed told her hide but they had found her and now she couldn't find her mom._

"I don't want to go." Caroline said quietly. They didn't hear her and dragged her towards Bonnie's car. Then something grabbed her. All her breath left her for a moment. For a split second she was being dragged along the parking lot by unfamiliar hand, the rough handling causing a long tear in her shirt to appear. She looked around adamantly for the culprit. In her mind it was a sleazy dirt covered man with crooked teeth pulling her out of a home with the sight of her dead mother flashing before her eyes. In real life-

"Whoa, whoa! Caroline!"

She couldn't see them. She could see her house burning. She could her doll being dragged through the mud along with her. She could see the cage she was about to join filled with other women and children.

"Caroline, your arm!"

Her head whipped around. Her eyes quickly focused on Bonnie and Elena who were moving towards her quickly with terrified expressions. Who were these people? Bonnie grabbed her arm. Why were they touching her? Bonnie began examining her arm but Caroline couldn't think of why she would. There were no fresh wounds but there were scars littered over every inch of visible, and Caroline was familiar with those because they were hers.

"Caroline?" Elena gasped. "Did someone do this to you?"

She snatched her arm away from Bonnie. Her eyes flickered between the two of them quickly. Her expression was guarded and a bit hostile but she wouldn't hurt them, unless they intended to hurt her.

"Who are you?" She stood suddenly backing up away from them. What were all these metal things surrounding them? Why was the ground so hard and all the noise, what was all that noise? "Where am I? Where is NiKlaus?"

"Caroline what are you-"

"What just happened?" Caroline asked. Her expression no longer hostile but wildly confused. Her whole demeanor changed. The girl that she was just a few moments ago had had an air of power surrounding and one of danger lying just underneath, but this girl…she was clearly more scared than anything else.

Bonnie and Elena exchanged confused looks. Caroline muttered a few hurried inaudible excuses before hurrying back to the school. She needed to go home. She needed to call her mom and go home. Her mom wasn't answering. She was probably busy or turned her phone off. She was the sheriff, and even though Mystic falls is a small town, she was busy often.

With nowhere else to go, she sat down in front of her locker. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her mind was racing. So many thoughts, dreams (memories?) were floating around inside. She just needed to be able to focus. She only wanted to be here but-

 _"Caroline?" It was Kol. He was the same exactly the same. But he was different. He was wearing clothes from centuries earlier and his hair was different, longer. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"_

 _"I can't do it." She sobbed. Kol was at a disadvantage. He wasn't used to dealing with crying girls. He dealt with Rebekah but usually she just wanted something. Caroline on the other hand…Caroline_ _ **needed**_ _something. Kol wasn't sure he could provide it._

 _"I want to!" Caroline assured. "But I see different faces. I don't see him and it scares me. I know he won't hurt me, I do! It's just those men, those faces...they would."_

 _Kol was beginning to understand, very little, but understand nonetheless. It was quite personal but Caroline was a personal part of his life and he honestly felt honored that she would even bring up the topic with him. Caroline had always given him the benefit of the doubt. Even when he had laid dead bodies at her feet in an effort to scare her off, she always believed there was good in him. So he would try, for her, to be good and help her in any way he could._

 _"Um...sweetheart" he bent so they were eye to eye. He could think of several situations where towering over her had bad results. "What you've been through...it's not easy to get over and you won't let it go immediately because you've found a new home and a family and you don't need to get over it immediately. We're not rushing you. There is no rush, no pressure. You can take as much time as you need and we'll be here for you forever. NiKlaus will wait as long as it takes and to have access to all of you, in whatever way that means. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, just breathe."_

"Deep breaths…"

She was breathing normal again. There were hands making a soothing pattern on her back. There were comforting words being whispered in her ear. She leaned into the familiar person though she couldn't place where she knew the girl from.

"You back to normal?" The girl chimed with her accent. "No more panic attack?"

"Yes." Caroline confirmed. "I don't know what happened but thank you." Caroline moved away from the girl. She took a few more deep breaths. She turned to look at her. The smile that had made its way onto her face quickly fell. This girl looked exactly like the one from her dream. _Its official,_ Caroline thought to herself, _I'm going crazy._

 _"My brothers only mean to say that the slavers who you escaped from are still looking for you."_

 ** _This can't be happening..._**

 _"Rebekah Mikaelson,"_

 ** _I'm losing my mind_**

CcC

Two days and she had had no problems. There were no weird dreams. She'd managed to avoid the blonde and her brother. She didn't know how but she did. She'd stopped Elena and Bonnie's questions. Once she'd brought up their secretive ways, they preferred to have her out of their business. So here they were, pretending like everything was perfectly fine.

They'd traveled to the closest town they could find and went to the mall. Right now they were rating guys. Most of the guys Caroline pointed out turned out to be gay. She knows, she asked. Elena thought it was hilarious but Caroline thought it was tortuous. All the guys she liked liked other guys. If just one of them was for girls then she'd be ready to date. She would be ready to serve her heart up on a platter.

"Him!" Caroline pointed excitingly. "If he's gay, I'll never date a guy in my life."

"You can't even see his face!" Bonnie laughed. "And it seems you have a type, tall, dark, and brooding…"

"I can tell from the back of his head, he's gorgeous." Caroline crossed her arms defiantly.

"I don't know." Elena replied skeptically. "Every guy, and I mean every last guy, you've picked has been gay. I'm gonna roll with the evidence. I'm calling it."

"I'm telling you," Caroline insisted, "no way."

Bonnie made a gesture encouraging her to go find out. Caroline made a face that clearly said 'challenge accepted'. She stepped confidently over to the man. She introduced herself immediately and turned around with him to face her friends missing his full face but being impressed with what little she saw. He had beautiful cheekbones.

"Those are my friends. We've been pointing out hot guys all day and everyone I've picked was gay. I also picked you, so please tell me you're not gay." She finally looked at the guy. He was gorgeous and so familiar Caroline nearly fainted.

"I'm not gay, love." He chuckled. "You know that very well."

"Do I?" Caroline squeaked.

"NiKlaus, what are you do-Caroline?" The guy stopped in his tracks. His eyes became focused on the guy Caroline was standing in front of who was staring at Caroline as if he was a starving wolf and she was a ham dinner.

"...Eli?" She responded. NiKlaus's eyebrows shot up in amusement. She looked back to NiKlaus. She stared at him for a long while. He smiled at her and she launched herself at him.

"Why do I feel like I haven't seen you in centuries?" She whispered into his collar. He brought tentative arms up to wrap around her waist. For the tiny amount of time she let him, NiKlaus held her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Um..." Caroline paused, "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that." She said before pulling back. He was looking at her a bit different now. He was looking at her like she was the most important thing in his life and she had no idea why. Had she just said something to him? She didn't remember saying anything. The look on his face…she wanted that look forever.

"Care!" Bonnie called as she jogged up to the trio. "Ready to go? You guys mind if we steal our friend back?" NiKlaus made a face that showed he was less than pleased. Elijah placed a hand on his chest.

"Go on." Elijah beckoned with a less than happy, but now exactly murderous, look. Bonnie pulled Caroline away from the guys. Caroline kept her eyes trained on them as she stumbled along with Bonnie. Bonnie glared daggers at the both of them, there was a clear threat behind her glance. NiKlaus didn't care, he continued staring at Caroline. Caroline was sure he was still staring even after she couldn't see him after Bonnie had dragged her out of the mall.

CcC

"I think it's time. Don't you, brother?" NiKlaus asked after Caroline had disappeared with that witch and the vampire.

"Yes." Elijah agreed. "It is."

CcC

As Caroline sat on her bed staring at a blank wall, no one would ever guess the entire story that was unraveling inside her head.

 _"Caroline," NiKlaus said cautiously, "I want you to be my mate."_

 _"Your mate?" Caroline questioned as she moved closer to NiKlaus's torso. She could hear him mumbling about a binding ceremony but her mind was focused on other things. Her foot was extravagantly tangled in the blankets and she chose to ignore it and settled for shifting her head against NiKlaus's shoulder in her sleepy stupor. "Is that like marriage?"_

 _"Yes." He replied as he began stroking her hair. "But it's much more serious, and permanent. It's quite dangerous too, since we'll be doing it while you are still human."_

 _"Why?" She yawned._

 _"We'll practically be bonding our souls together, you see." He explained. "Some of the magic that makes me what I am will become a part of you and human bodies cannot always withstand it. Yet, I have no doubt that you could."_

 _"You want to do it?" She asked half of her words slurred from the sleep that was slowly overtaking her._

 _"Yes," NiKlaus said instantly, "more than anything I've ever wanted."_

 _"Okay." She replied just as quickly. "We can do it tomorrow."_

 _"Caroline, I want you to think about it. It will probably hurt a lot and you would be suffering most of the pain-"_

 _"Klaus you are the one and only love of my life." Caroline said as she lazily placed a hand over his mouth. "I would endure anything for you. I would give my life for you. You can have as much of my soul as you want. I love you with all that I am."_

 _Caroline could not see it and NiKlaus was glad that her head was buried in his neck because no one had seen him cry in nearly half a millennia. NiKlaus could feel the liquid building in his eyes and could not even return her confession verbally in fear that his voice would crack but,_ _ **by god**_ _, he loved her_ _ **so much.**_

 _"Now shhh, love." Caroline finished with a peck to his collarbone. "'M trying to sleep."_


	4. The Value of A Moment

"Sometimes You Will Never Know The Value Of A Moment Until It Becomes A Memory."  
-Dr. Seuss

xXx

 _"Can Hybrids have kids?" Caroline asks randomly one night. NiKlaus was mostly sleep and only being kept barely awake by the sensation of Caroline creating patterns on his bicep but that comment woke him up immediately. And he could not even find the words to respond. He was stunned into silence. He hadn't thought about children, ever. Just the thought brought up deeply buried fears of turning out like his parents._

 _"It's just..." Caroline began at his silence. "I never really thought about kids when I was…there but if I ever wanted children could I have some."_

 _"Do you want children?" Klaus questioned after much thought and finally finding the ability to speak once again._

 _"I..." Caroline thought carefully. "I think I want children with you." Klaus pressed a gentle kiss against her temple._ _ **She wants children.**_

 _"Then children we will have."_

 _XxX_

It doesn't take the Mikaelsons long to find out who is the head witch of Mystic Falls. A few threats here, and a broken bone there and the name _Sheila Bennet_ falls from lips faster than a knife cutting through warm butter. It takes them less time to figure out where she lives and what family members need to be threatened per NiKlaus's instruction if she decides to be difficult. Frankly, Elijah is bit a scared, because this witch will be the key to returning Caroline to her original self and if the Bennet Witch does not cooperate, Mystic Falls will suffer greatly.

Elijah believes once Caroline had to be removed from their lives all of NiKlaus's enemies suffered a loss. NiKlaus was a better person with Caroline. He was a more reasonable person with Caroline. So, when they knock on Sheila Bennett's door, long after her Granddaughter has left after her daily visit before school, Elijah is really hoping she just cooperates. He doesn't feel like destroying _another_ perfectly good suit.

"Hello!" NiKlaus says politely as the door cracks open just a bit. When the witch's face is a less than hospitable, Elijah finds himself placing a reassuring hand on NiKlaus's shoulder to convey a silent message. _No need to resort to violence just yet, brother._

"We aren't here to cause any trouble." Elijah assures the obviously skeptical witch. "We have only come to collect one our own."

"There were extenuating circumstances that led to my mate ending up in this town and it seems we need a bit of witchy expertise. My brother Kol, after much questioning of his own, says you're the witch to talk to." Klaus chirps in an uncharacteristically bright and happy manor. "It'd be a lot easier if you invited us in."

Sheila gave them both looks, ones that clearly suggested that the men that who stood in front of her were much less than _sane_. As much as she wanted to spout dialogue about unnatural and evil, she restrained herself. She knew better than to get on an Original's bad side. She also knew this was probably something she wanted to know about if it was going to be happening in her town. So she invited them in. The words "come in" only brought a tiny bit of regret. There were other ways she could keep them out if her house if need be.

"Start talking." She instructed pulling her sweater tighter around her, as she once again became accompanied with her very comfortable couch.

"A while back my father came to visit and being the man that he is he tried to destroy my happiness and then end my life." Klaus began as he inspected her living room. She eyed him warily as he picked up pictures and knick-knacks left and right.

"He sought to accomplish this by first killing his mate, Caroline-" Sheila perked at the name as Elijah continued Klaus's explanation. "-then forcing us all apart."

"So we found a witch to hide her for a while." NiKlaus said as he examined a painting that hung above her fireplace. "Her solution was to transfer Caroline to another time period completely. She reincarnated her."

"My Caroline?" Sheila questioned. "You're talking about the Forbes girl, my granddaughter's friend?"

"Correct." Elijah confirmed.

"What exactly are you asking of me?" Sheila asked after another quick run through of the story with Klaus and his mate. She'd listened to them repeat the spell for Caroline's reincarnation three times and was surprised that they had memorized it so well.

"We need to know when Caroline will be our Caroline again." Elijah delineated. Sheila nodded thoughtfully. She'd gotten the gist of the spell. Whatever it was it was ancient and must have been lost throughout time but the words were clear enough. The spell was a work of art to say the least. It was simply executed for a rather complicated result.

"Your family is the key." Sheila stated quietly. "When she sees you all together, it will trigger all of her memories but all of the emotions accompanied with them as well. Be careful. If she's been through as much as you insinuate, the pain will be overwhelming."

NiKlaus wasn't worried about pain. Caroline could handle as much as anyone could give.

"Well if that's all it takes I'll make sure we all spend quality time together." Klaus smirked pulling out his phone. A quick look at the time let him know that it was Lunchtime. _Perfect_ , he thought as he began composing a text to Rebekah.

XxX

Caroline was craving something. Even as she sat here with her friends and they laughed, she was missing something, and she wanted it back. She didn't want to think about science or history or math. She wanted to focus on that thing. She wasn't just missing something, she was _missing_ something. Her heart felt empty. It was aching for something like it would if she missed her mom or her friends but more, a lot more. This was the most important thing in her life and it hurt to have it gone.

She found herself unwillingly laying her head on her desk. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't see it, the whole picture. She had bits and pieces. She kept dreaming of people in situations. Kol and her playing mind games with each other. The Blonde, whose name may be Rebekah, and her shopping in old times, and girl-talking.

The guy who always wore a suit liked to teach her things. He gave her books and helped her read because she's not good at that in her dreams. The last man, NiKlaus, he did everything. He shopped with her, talked with her, played with her, taught her, bought her everything, and he loved her most of all. And they run together but sometimes he's different when he runs. Sometimes he looks like a wolf in her dreams and sometimes the others, mostly when they're protecting her, they have fangs.

"Caroline Forbes, you're not even listening to me." Tyler complained. His face was sporting a pout at having his magnanimous fight story ignored. She laughed as she looked up. She found herself snorting at the name he called her. It was so odd. Those two things didn't sound right together.

"What did you just call me?" She asked with another small laugh.

"Um...your name?"

"What?!" She laughed again. "What type of ridiculous name is Forbes?!"

"Caroline," Matt interjected as he glanced worriedly at the other friends surrounding them, "what are you talking about?"

"Matt!" Caroline yelled causing some of the lunchroom to turn her way. "Come on! You should all know my last name is Mikael-" she stopped. She couldn't figure out what was she saying. She was taken aback by her own denial of her last name. She looked around. She spotted Kol and Rebekah strolling through the lunch room. Kol winked and Rebekah waved. She waved back hesitantly. Caroline watched as Rebekah said something to Kol and detached herself from him. She strolled over to Caroline.

"Hey Doll!" Rebekah chimed cheerfully as she leaned on the table.

 _That dress is gorgeous on you! You look like a perfect doll..._

"My elder brothers are throwing a welcome home party for Kol and me." She said sliding into place in the seat next to Caroline's at the lunch table. "I wanted to know if you would come. Your friends can come too," she motioned to the stunned faces of the rest of the table, "and anyone they want to invite."

"Okay sure." Caroline said immediately without even thinking about it. Rebekah smiled with a greeting nod towards the other. She told Caroline that she was putting up flyers later with date and time but she just wanted to invite her personally and Caroline found her breath catching in her chest. When had that ever happened? Had one of her friends ever went out of their way to make her feel special?

XxX

 _It was the dogs._

 _That's was why she couldn't sleep. It was the dogs and the pain and the slavers that appeared. It wasn't always when she slept sometimes it was during the day while she did absolutely normal things. She would hear a shout or a bark or see something that reminded her of_ _ **there**_ _and be back there all again. Often times it passed quickly and the others didn't even notice but it didn't always pass. Sometimes it was too much, sometimes she couldn't handle it. She'd just slide to the floor and cry. Shed squeeze her arm too tight or drag her nails down her arms. NiKlaus scolded her at times like those. He didn't like it when she hurt herself._

 _The best times were when she would wake up with NiKlaus beneath her. They'd be tangled together all limbs and hair but she'd hear his heart beat. He's not supposed to have one because he's dead but he does and she loves it. So if she dreams bad dreams, she finds her haven in the sound and sights and smell of him._

 _"_ _What are you thinking of?" Kol asks her one day. She's not sure when he appeared in the living room where'd she'd been drifting, staring absentmindedly at the roaring fireplace, and stroking the wall beneath her finger tips._

 _"_ _I'm happy here." She states with smile that's more somewhere else than with Kol._ _ **That's because she's happy.**_ _Kol realizes._ _ **She gets to lose herself in her mind without worry that someone will take away her peace.**_

 _"Who makes you happy?" She asks suddenly, her mind finding its footing in the real world. "Is it that girl? The one with all those powers?"_

 _"She could make me happy," Kol states after a thought or two, "but I don't think I've found the person that'll make me happy the way NiKlaus makes you happy."_

 _"I'm looking forward to the day that we all do." Caroline smiles a bit brighter at the mere thought. "I like to see my family happy."_

 _XxX_

"I don't like her." Elena frowns as the three girls sit in Caroline's room. They're looking for something for Caroline to wear, but, for some reason that Caroline can't understand, they can never focus solely on Caroline for too long.

"I like her." Caroline says absentmindedly as she slides through her closet. "What do you think blue or pink?"

"She kinda seems stuck up." Bonnie agrees as she and Elena completely ignore Caroline's question.

"I'm settled on jeans..."

"And she talks to Caroline like she's known her forever."

"That makes her nice not stuck up." Caroline argues. "Seriously guys blue or pink?"

"Care I don't think you should talk to her." Elena says after her and Bonnie do that secret stare thingy that they've been doing for _months_.

"I like her and she's nice." Caroline frowns. "Maybe black...black is always nice…"

"I've never even heard of her older brothers!" Bonnie points out. "When exactly did they move here?"

"The red is looking kind of cute too-"

"I know right! I've never even seen their faces!" Elena shouts.

"Hello!" Caroline calls from where she is buried in her closet.

"You think Stefan would know if they-you know." Bonnie whispers as if she is unaware that Caroline can definitely still hear her.

"He should-"

"JESUS, BLUE OR PINK?!" Caroline screams. "I mean, God, it's not that hard of a question! Are you two too busy keeping secrets and trying to control my social life to help me with something as simple as picking the color of a shirt?!"

"Care we're just trying to look out for you-"

"No, you're trying to look out for yourselves! You think the Mikaelsons have something to do with whatever weird thing you've been hiding since you got with Stefan, and it's the same weird thing that I've been trying to get you to tell me because I'm worried about you and actually care about your health _unlike some people_!"

"That's not fair!"

"Whatever", Caroline sighs, "just leave my family alone. They haven't done anything to you. Now please get out."

"Care-"

"Please!" She says with tiredness in her tone that is solely for them. She's been tired of their one way friendship since forever. Kicking them out of her house feels like she's defeated a super villain and she can finally breathe again.

After they've left and she's locked the door she goes back up to her room and practically marries her bed. She huffs into the pillows, resisting the urge to scream, before turning her head for some air.

"I think I'll go with dark blue." She mumbles to herself as she slips into sleep. "NiKlaus likes dark blue."

XxX

She didn't go to school the two days before the party. The human race was proving to be a test of her patience so, Tyler texts her with the address and time. It's from 8 to whenever and with free food. Although it's not on the flyer, Caroline is sure there is going to be beer but she's never really liked that sort of thing. She likes to have a clear head. Food though…food she likes.

She hasn't talked to Bonnie and Elena since she'd practically slammed the door in their faces and refuses to answer their calls. She suspects that they'll ambush her tonight in an effort to explain what they really mean and how they're not keeping secrets. Just at the thought of it, Caroline remembers how much she hates liars.

 _"_ _If you do as we say, we'll let you go hehehe"_

 _"…_ _.Really?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, of course, just come here and-"_

 ** _"_** ** _Ukhodi!"_**

She's more than prepared to tell them to fuck off in the nicest way possible. She doesn't know what she will do by herself at a party. She's never been to a party alone but…she has other friends...right? _I mean there are Matt and Tyler_. But really, they are Elena's friends, Elena's followers realy... Then again, who isn't? All her "friends" pretty much center their lives around Elena. Elena this and Elena that. Not to mention the fact that Elena has an incredible talent of getting in trouble. Honestly, she could make a profession of it. There is always something with her and they usually end up tied up in it. No matter, Caroline could make new friends. The Mikaelsons proved just that.

She didn't think about the scars when she'd picked out her shirt. She couldn't remember the last time she'd worn something sleeveless. The scars all over her arms had made her hide them. She used to have a wide variety of clothing, courtesy of her mom, and her wardrobe option had drastically lessened since her dreams had begun becoming a reality. It didn't matter. She could always wear a jacket. She had an abundance of those too. Heading into the Mikaelson house that was what she reminded herself of.

There was music and lots of people. The tables set out with a wonderful display of food. It was simple things like chicken, in forms of tenders and wings and more, chips and salsa.

" _Are you enjoying that chicken?" Klaus laughed as Caroline tore apart the chicken that was in front of her._

 _"_ _This is chicken?!" Caroline questioned around a mouth full of food and received a nod from Klaus. "This is the best thing I've ever eaten!"_

There weren't any drinks though, to her surprise, but oddly enough there was chocolate. After examining the food table, she roamed aimlessly. She didn't really know these peole so she dealt with being alone. That was until Rebekah spotted her and whisked her away upstairs. She was talking really fast and Caroline listened hard and stared at her lips to try and decipher what she was saying.

"... I've been waiting for you all night." Was the first thing she actually understood out of Rebekah's mouth.

"Oh!" Caroline said. "Well sorry I'm was late. I had a bit if a wardrobe crisis." She didn't mention the part where she cried because she was ugly. That was a bit of a party killer.

"But you're here now!" Rebekah said happily. "It was totally worth the wait."

XxX

 _It's always when she's least expecting it. That's when he shows up. He won't leave them alone. He keeps coming back and the only reason NiKlaus hasn't killed him is because Caroline asks nicely. She doesn't want him to have blood on his hands because of her. Now though...now Caroline thinks maybe she should have._

 _"There you are." Her slaver grins. He's definitely hers. She remembers that face._

 _"Go away." She says calmly but sternly. NiKlaus has taught her to always be proud and strong. People don't get to talk down to her because she's young or because she's a woman or because they think she's property._

 _"Your noble isn't here to protect you, is he?" He takes a step closer. Caroline doesn't have anything in her hands just the bunches of her dress because she needs something to hold on to. She needs something to keep her sane. Usually that's NiKlaus or any other Mikaelson but they're not here right now. She has to be strong for herself._

 _"These are not your lands." She reminds. "Leave." He doesn't listen. Why would he? He used to own her. He used to take pleasure from her pain and cause chaos and sorrow in her life every day. She wants to run, she does, but that's what he wants. He wants to chase her. He thinks this is a game. She won't run from him or for him._

 _"You're my property, my territory." He scowls. "I still own you. What gives him the right to have you?"_

 _"He loves me." She explains. "He's in love with me because I'm beautiful and smart and carefree. I like to read and dance and sing. He buys me things I need, things I don't, and things I didn't know I needed. He owns me in a way that you will never understand. I don't want to be free from him."_

 _He's angry now. She's knows because he makes that face. He makes the face he's been making since she was a little girl, since before she was old enough to carry a tray although they made her do it anyway. She takes a few steps back, and she knows she shouldn't have. She knows she should not have waivered but she panicked at that face and he lunged forward. She heard dogs and of course he brought others. He's pushing her down. Her hands push back. She finds his face and pushes him away as a rough hand scrapes down her front, tearing her dress. She thinks she feels him hit her but it doesn't hurt like it used to. She was smaller then._

 _"Get off!" She orders as she kicks at him and pushes against his torso with the other hand._

 _"Stupid bitch!" He yells. His mouth is open wide and she sticks her whole hand in. Her fingers are touching the back of his mouth and she slides them down his throat. He's choking now. Hes coughing long enough for her to get up and run. She can't think of it as rubbing from or for him. She running for NiKlaus because she can't die here. She doesn't know what he will do if she dies. She's not afraid of death. For a very long time it had been on the top of her wish list. She's seen him upset over her and she's afraid to unleash that on the world._

 ** _Run faster!_**

 _Soon she's out of the forest and into the clearing that is right before the house. There, already headed her way, were three blurs. She knows who they are. The pounding footsteps following her can't tell but she's grown use to recognizing their blurs. She crashes into Rebekah first, who quickly molds the two of them together to hide Caroline's exposed chest. Rebekah is worrying and being pissed while she simultaneously curses and threatens the man while looking over Caroline. Caroline is sure the man is dead already. Both Elijah and Kol were headed his way. Then something unusual happens. Kol is flying from the trees and into the clearing and suddenly he is one of the many corpse decorating the ground. There's a branch sticking through his chest and Caroline rushes from Rebekah to Kol._

 _"Caroline!" Rebekah yells as a man comes strolling through the woods. He's unusually calm in the chaos and carrying something in his right hand. Caroline's not worried about him. She's worried about Kol._

 _"Caroline!" Rebekah screams at the top of her lungs causing Caroline's head to snap towards her. "Go! Kol is fine! Go! Go find Nik!"_

 _Rebekah pulls her onto her feet and away from Kol and pushes her towards the house before urging her to go. She listens to her because this is important and begins towards the house. Before she takes off at top speed she hears Rebekah yell once more._

 _"Father, please!"_

XxX

This is weird right?

Caroline thinks it is as she shakes the hands of Rebekah's eldest brothers. Apparently she's already met them, in real life and her dreams. She blushes a little because some of the dreams she had about the younger one aren't very innocent but the way he's looking at her-that's not very innocent either. Elijah is in a suit as always and NiKlaus is casually dressed. Kol gives her a hug because he's the touchy kind of person.

"Hi!" Caroline chirps. "It's nice to meet you all."

For a while it is all going rather smoothly. They make conversation. It's mostly the Mikaelsons talking. They tell about their travels and there are quite a few and Caroline is more than happy to listen. She notices some glances between the two older brothers that are indecipherable but chooses to ignore them. She isn't looking to create problems and she hadn't planned on it. That is until NiKlaus says-

"You're very beautiful, Caroline."

The words stop her mind mid-thought. She sputters trying to say thank you but really only turning red. _They're just words,_ she tells herself but she knows that's not exactly true because these words seem awfully familiar. She hears Elijah say- _"Why don't you tell me your name?"-_ although his mouth never moves and Rebekah is yelling about defeating the boys in a snowball fight while Kol lovingly whispers _"You can take as much as time as you need.."_ and suddenly she can't breathe. Her eyes are blurry and she falls. She can barely make out the image of the hand below her as the other claws desperately at her chest. Abruptly there is a hand touching her shoulder and she finds herself stumbling onto her feet and away from the group that all have panicked eyes.

Her eyes are slowly focusing and she can make out their faces. One by one the blur clears up and though she can now breathe, she doesn't want to because these people…she knows them. The last time she saw them… _NO! Not again!_ Kol doesn't look like he had, lifeless and dark. Klaus isn't covered in blood. Rebekah isn't crying. Elijah isn't furious but she knows. She knows that they were dying the last time she saw them. This can't be real.

"Caroline," NiKlaus begins stretching out a hand to pull her closer but she takes a quick step back.

"I can't touch you." She mumbles as her breath becomes labored. _At least she is breathing._ Elijah thinks as he lets out a breath of his own.

"Why?" Kol asks her as NiKlaus's face drops. Kol knows that Klaus has been waiting for this moment and that he will take her rejection the wrong way.

"Because," Caroline's voice cracks, a steady stream of tears begins to roll down her cheeks, and she slowly begins to sob, "I'm afraid you're not real." She hangs her head in between her hands.

Her heart is racing. It's craving that thing even more. She needs to breathe. She needs to relax. There are arms encasing her suddenly She tries push them away. She pulls them closer. She doesn't know why she does it but it makes her feel better immediately. She finds herself reaching to wrap her hands around the face of the one who is holding her. She brings his head down to rest his forehead against hers. Her fingers began running along the sides of his face. She closes her eyes and breathes. His hands come up to wrap around her wrists but he isn't just grasping her, he's holding onto her. He's hanging on for dear life.

"You remember right?" He breathes deep. "I've spent 500 years without you. You know I'm not a patient man."

"I'm sorry." A soft smile graces her lips and she wishes that they could stay like this forever. Why should they ever move? Why do they have to deal with the rest of the world?

"NiKlaus," Caroline mutters suddenly, "something's wrong. Kol is hurt-

 _And the slavers are back again!" Caroline yells as she enters the house. There's a commotion in the dining room and she follows the sounds. She finds NiKlaus. His hands are covered in blood and he is wiping some from his face with the back of his hand. He rushes up to her when he sees her. He doesn't touch her with his hands but fusses over her just like Rebekah._

 _"I'm fine." Caroline says, gently taking his hands into hers. She places them both on her face. She doesn't care about the blood. She never has. "See? I'm perfectly fine. But Kol-"_

 _"So this is where you've been hiding." Mikael's voice announces as he bursts through the front doors. NiKlaus immediately pushes Caroline behind him. "Ah and there is where your little whore is. I was hoping to kill her before I saw you but she's quite slippery, that one."_

 _"Father, leave Caroline-"_

 _"DONT CALL ME THAT!" he roars. Caroline jumps where she stands behind Klaus. "I should've killed you when you were a baby." Caroline cringes at that. To threaten a baby is something a slaver would do because they don't have heart, only greed and anger._

 _Elijah zooms into the house. His blouse is ripped open and he's covered in blood._

 _"Father," he says cautiously, "leave them be. You've done eno-"_

 _"I don't believe I was talking to you, Elijah." Mikael dismissed. He waved Elijah off turning to face NiKlaus and the girl._

 _"Caroline," Klaus said quietly, "you know where to go." Caroline doesn't hesitate before rushing up the stairs. She never thought she would need this hiding place. It was always just a reassurance for Klaus. Today it would be where she panicked._

XxX

"How long has it been, exactly?" Caroline questions as they sit in the upstairs den.

"500 years 6 months 3 weeks and 2 days." NiKlaus says immediately. "Not that I was counting." She giggles. He smiles because he can still make her laugh. She can't take it anymore. She kisses him. She kisses him long and lovingly because apparently she hasn't kissed him in five hundred years. She missed his mouth and she didn't know even know it.

"Caroline what are you doing!" Elena's voice reaches her. She sighs into the kiss and it's not a happy sigh. She rests her head on NiKlaus's shoulder as she hears the footsteps moving towards her.

"Hold it witchy and bitchy." Rebekah instructs with a hand to Elena's midsection. "You're interrupting a family moment."

"Elena and Bonnie," Caroline sighs again, "not now." She hasn't made them best friends in this lifetime.

"Love, there's something you should-"

"Seriously Caroline?!" Elena yells past Rebekah who really looks like she's trying not to strangle her. "This guy has to be at least twice your age!"

"I resent that." Klaus frowns. "I don't _look_ thatold."

"You have no idea what's going on." Carol one guys before pinching the bridge of her nose. She shook her head at the incoming headache.

"Really, girls," Elijah advises, "you're out if your league here."

"Your mom-" Elena begins and Caroline realizes. She has a mom again and not just any mom but a really great mom. She turns to NiKlaus.

"She is actually my mom right?" She inquires. "She's not compelled or anything?"

"She is your mother." Kol confirms. He is the expert after all. "She birthed you and everything."

"About the compulsion-"

"Caroline, we're talking to you!"

"Okay!" She screams. "Let me give you my undivided attention. I know you're a vampire, Elena. Thanks for being such good friends and telling me. Your boyfriend's brother is an asshole by the way. These-" she motions to the Mikaelsons-"are my family members. NiKlaus Mikaelson is my mate and he has been since long before your stupid town with its stupid founding families was ever thought of."

Caroline had much more to say. She did but at the moment her head felt like it was splitting. She dropped to her knees. Immediately NiKlaus hands were on her, his arms wrapped around her and holding her tight. He was explaining this to her but she couldn't hear over her screaming. Thankfully the music downstairs was pretty loud and none of them would hear her. Her head still hurt like hell though.

 _"_ _You little brat! I don't care if you starve!"_

 _…_

 _The cuts he supplied to her back gave her no doubt that she didn't care but she was still scared and hungry. Someone was grabbing her hair now. Whoever was watching didn't want to buy a child. They cried too much._

 _"This is the arrow chaser's daughter?" The man questioned as he examined her, a little blonde girl with tear stained blue eyes and dirt covering every inch of her skin. The man bent down to come face to face with her._

 _"Your mother was a whore." He voice smelled terrible. "She'd sleep with anything, even one of those goddamned Indians." Caroline cried. That was what he wanted._

 _…_

 _This was Caroline's fault. At least that's what she thought as the whip hit her back. She wasn't sorry though. It could be her fault forever and she wouldn't be sorry. That man deserved to be hit with that pan. He'd touched her in a very inappropriate place. Her mother said men weren't supposed to do that. Her mother was also dead, so maybe she didn't know as much as she seemed to._

 _…_

 _They usually didn't hit her in the face. Arms, legs, torso, they could all be covered. This particular incident after her escape the Master Slaver had been too upset to care. She had time to heal. They wouldn't sell her for another couple months. The slavers had a bet as to who would break her first. Who would have her begging for him before she left? Caroline wanted to die. That's what she thought as she sobbed miserably on the cold stone floor of her cell. She wanted to die._

 _…_

"Back off, Gilbert!" Kol ordered as Bonnie and Elena tried to get to Caroline.

"Caroline," NiKlaus said quietly.

She cried harder. There was too much _noise, yelling and whispering and music_. _Too much noise outside her head, too much inside her head._

" _Too much!_ " She whimpered. NiKlaus looked to Elijah. It was time for the party to be over.

"Escort those two out." Elijah told Rebekah and Kol. They were more than happy to follow orders. Elijah headed downstairs to get everyone out of their home. The music cut off immediately. Any noise that may have come afterwards was quickly silenced.

"Caroline," NiKlaus tried again, "she told me of this. I told her there was no need to worry because you're strong. I know the memories hurt. I have memories that hurt too. Listen, love, you can handle them."

She grabbed at him desperately. She buried her face in his chest and cried. This was where the really bad memories came in and even though she couldn't remember them, she knew there were more than a few. She hugged him tighter.

"I remember the snowball fight." She cried. "I love you."

"I am in love with you."

XxX

She wouldn't have agreed to meet them if she knew it was going to be like this. This wasn't a discussion. This was Bonnie and Elena telling her all the reasons she should avoid the Mikaelsons. Murderers blah blah blah. Completely insane blah blah. Rebekah's a bitch blah blah blah. Kol's kinda hot though blah blah. She was resisting the urge to bang her head against the table. How did she handle this before? Did they do this all the time?

"Elena," Caroline sighed. She'd been doing a lot of that. "It's not that simple. Klaus and I we're mates. We have been for a very long time now and just because you don't approve doesn't mean-"

"Caroline, this relationship isn't good for you."

That was the last straw.

"Let me make this clear." Caroline whispered menacingly. "I am not _your Caroline_ anymore. I have her memories and I love you like she does but we are not the same. I am not a Barbie and this is not your playhouse. Klaus has been nothing but good to me. He has literally saved my life time and again. I know what he has done. He's loves me thoroughly. I don't love him because he's all good. I'm not _in love_ with him because he's a good little puppy. I need him for all the things that he is and I need him because I love him. He can be evil. He can be murderous and he can be downright cruel. I love him for ALL the things that he is and if those happen to be among the selections then I take those too. I don't want to change him. I love him for what he is, not what you think he should be." Caroline stood angrily. She yanked her coat out of the booth and yanked it mercilessly onto her arms.

"While you're judging my mate," Caroline shot angrily, "you should talk to your boyfriend because The Mikaelsons have told me some things about him and they're not all that pretty and innocent either."


End file.
